More than 85,000 women accessed specialist homelessness services across Australia in 2012, and on the night of the 2011 census more than 105,000 people were homeless – nearly half of those were women.

These figures alone are staggering.

Now most of us will never know what being homeless really means.

Consider yourself lucky.

For these women, though, it’s a matter of choice – but don’t go getting your knickers in a twist – it’s not that kind of choice – not a choice to be homeless or at risk.

It’s having to decide how you will spend what little money you might have – on a daily basis.

And often the essentials that most of us take for granted will get overlooked.

Last year, the organisation collected and distributed more than 150,000 packets of sanitary products to women’s shelters and groups assisting women fleeing domestic violence, as well as at-risk and disadvantaged women in our society.

Locally, close to 100 handbags (literally) full of sanitary and personal care products were distributed to women across our region as part of a pre-Christmas campaign.

This year the team hopes to go bigger and better.

That’s where the local blokes come in.

During the month of April, the Telstra store (Tamworth and Gunnedah) and the Telstra Business Centre North West NSW (Fitzroy St), along with Coles supermarkets in Tamworth and Gunnedah, Tamworth Shoppingworld and Australian Hearing, will act as collection points – to “share the dignity”.

It’s just a little something – but it could make a big difference.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.